April 16, 2009 by Zale.

It’s no big deal, right? It’s just a misdemeanor, right?

Well, it is a misdemeanor, but as long as you don’t mind spending 11 months and 29 days in jail, then I guess a misdemeanor is no big deal.  For the rest of us, any jail time is a big deal.

Take Mr. Martin for example, he received his third driving on suspended license charge.  For his sentence, he received 120 days in jail and the balance to be served on probation.  He felt this was excessive, after all, a misdemeanor is no big deal, right?  The court didn’t agree with him.  The court of appeals upheld his sentence.  If nothing else, the court knew that for 120 days, he would not have the opportunity to drive without a license.

The moral of this story?  Driving is a privilege, not a right.  If you habitually drive without a license in Tennessee, and get caught for it, don’t expect many breaks from the court.

Posted in Criminal Law | No Comments »

April 15, 2009 by Zale.

“16 illegals sue Arizona rancher” Why is this even in court?  I’m not sure who I hold more contempt for, the attorney(s) who agreed to take the case or the judge that didn’t summarily throw it out.  If we don’t control our borders, then they will control us.  These plaintiff should have been met by ICE when the walked in the court room.

Posted in Immigration | No Comments »

April 10, 2009 by Zale.

Recently, there has been a phenomena of Tea Party rallies opposed to President Obama’s unprecedented tax increases.  Many local governments are trying to either shut these down or hinder them.  This seems strange to me.  The Freedom of Speech rights that Americans have under the 1st Amendment makes us the envy of the world.

Unfortunately, it appears in our current, society, which is obsessed with political correctness, everyone is free to talk about global warming, homosexuality and the legalization of drugs. But when we talk about our growing and ever oppressive tax burden, we’re shunned and silenced.

Don’t these people study history?  Don’t they understand that its THIS ISSUE that drove the wedge between the colonial states and England?  This country was born out of the need of freedom, primarily TAX FREEDOM.

I would love to try one of these cases where either the government tries to silence someone on this issue or tries to bring criminal charges for it.  Bring it on!

Posted in Freedom of Speech | No Comments »

April 10, 2009 by Zale.

In a meeting the other day, a few things came up that sets my office apart from the general perceptions of attorneys and law offices.

Forgiveness - I  believe that Jesus taught us to forgive.  This does not always fit with plaintiffs mindset toward their cases, but it is still important.  On the flip side of this, forgiveness is what allows me to do criminal defense.

Risk - I am all about planning.  I believe that businesses and individuals should do all they can to minimize their legal risks and liability.  However, where I differ from the general perception of attorneys is that I believe that sometimes we get too paranoid about liability.  We need to plan and pray, but we can’t live our lives fearing litigation.  The biggest problem I see is that often churches and Christ centered business don’t use their facilities and resources to their fullest potential.  This is due to their fearing opening their facilities and resources to the masses.

Politics - I’m a conservative.  I’m Pro-Life.  I’m a Christian. I believe that heterosexuality is the only sexuality.  These are principles that my office is based on.   I’m open and vocal about this, even though these views are generally not popular in the legal community.

So, these are some things that set me and my practice apart from others.  Whether or not clients or potential clients agree with the above views and principles is beyond my control, but I think its good for them to know.

Posted in General Law | No Comments »